Hello lovelies!

I hope this letter finds you all warm and well! I’ve been reminded today of yet another reason I’m so happy to be back in the South: it’s December 1st and I’m currently in cropped jeans and Birkenstocks. I know it won’t last, but as someone who is perpetually cold I’ll keep the warm as long as I can.

I want to start this newsletter off first by telling you all how much I appreciate the kind words on last month’s letter and new format. I’ll admit I was a little nervous to send it, afraid it would be a bit too much. I know that time is a precious and often scarce resource, and I always want to be respectful of yours. I’m grateful that you take the time to read these, and so I try to be conscientious of offering something valuable without being too wordy. (And yeah, I can hear the laughter from a few of you at the idea that I could abstain from being too wordy.)

November seemed to fly by, with fewer photos than the month before. Still there’s plenty to check out in this issue: I managed to write two blog posts, got underway on finishing off a space just for me, began selling my first ever physically published photo project, and worked in some time for a nostalgic Autumn stroll with my kiddos and a couple of instant cameras. Hopefully you’ll find it all worth exploring and enjoy it as much as the first issue!

Before I close I’d like to share one last thing: as we head into the holiday season we’re surrounded by proclamations that it’s the most wonderful time of the year. For some it is. And yet for many, it isn’t. I wrote last year about sitting with our pain and still finding light after the darkness and was blown away by the response I got, by how many of you found my words comforting. It’s a subject I’m sure I’ll touch on in my writing again this upcoming month, but since there are so many more of you now I wanted to share it again.

Wishing all of you a peaceful month filled with as much warmth as you can find. As always, I hope you enjoy, and you know how much I love hearing from you, so write me back!

kg

A TALE OF TWO DARK ROOMS

What you see here are seven rolls of film; the product of two years of shooting with a 35mm. I was shooting and having rolls developed fairly regularly for a while, but thanks to the pandemic the shooting slowed and the developing ground abruptly to a halt. Finally though these rolls are, even as I type this, making their way to a lab in Atlanta for processing; suffice it to say it’s going to feel like Christmas (and might actually be) when I get the negatives back.

But what you also see here - all that exposed framing in the back - that’s the space that is currently being finished off to become my office, workspace, studio, and (the BEST part) my very own darkroom. By the first of the year I’ll be shooting film with wild abandon and developing it all myself. While I’ve shot on film - off and on - my entire life, I’ve never developed or printed any of it. I’m just about beside myself excited at the prospect of learning it all, and of course I’ll be sharing the journey here and on my website along the way.

DEAR FRIEND - NOW ON SALE!

They’re finally here! Postcard sets from my project Dear Friend have landed in my shop…

And they’re going fast! I’m so grateful to those of you who have already purchased, or sent such sweet feedback about the project. It’s scary to put your work out into the world, so every kind word that comes back is amazing and appreciated.

If you haven’t ordered yet there are still some available, and right now I’m able to ship within a day or two of order. Each set comes with all 42 images, hand numbered, plus one additional image with a handwritten note, all beautifully printed on 17pt card stock with a matte finish (seriously the printing on these is more gorgeous than I ever dreamed it could be) and packaged up in a handmade craft box. They would be a wonderful addition to any photography collection, or make a thoughtful gift for your own dear friends.

You can visit the project webpage to learn more about how this year-long photo penpal project came about and order your own copy.

RECENT POSTS

HEIRLOOM AUTUMN

Y’all know that from time to time I like to share things with you guys that nobody else gets to see. Lately I’ve been borderline obsessed (again) with instant photography. There’s just such a joy in using an instant camera that’s hard to explain, and the dreamy quality that instant film imparts to an image is easy to get addicted to. Recently my boys have become pretty infatuated as well and so just after Thanksgiving we decided to take little Autumn walk around our neighborhood, cameras in tow. It was so much fun teaching them, and as usual learning from them as well; and what resulted is a collection of ethereal images steeped in fallen leaves and nostalgia.

PROJECT UPDATE: PEOPLE & PLACES

I’ve had a great response to my upcoming project! But I’m still looking for a few more subjects to participate (where all my Georgia peeps at?) If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, please check out the info page and feel free to pass it along!

People & Places is a new portrait project that explores the connection we have to place; to the important places that have made us, shaped us, the places to which we feel an unshakable bond.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

In 1978, MoMA curator John Szarkowski put together an exhibit titled Mirrors and Windows: American Photography Since 1960, in which he placed photographers’ work into one of two categories: Windows, where the images were documentary in nature, recording what was in front of the photographer and absent any commentary or agenda; and Mirrors, where the images were a reflection of the photographer’s self, thoughts, or feelings.

I think of this often as I contemplate my own work; unsure exactly where I sit. There’s actually an interesting theory - one that resonates deeply with me - that envisions the two ideas as either end of a spectrum, with no photograph sitting exactly at one end.